Put Me In Coach

Dear Dori - What coaching can I offer an employee that doesn't report to me but has been turned down for multiple promotional roles? I have advice for her, but since she doesn't report to me, it feels out of place. Second, how can I coach employees to be proactive/aggressive in managing up (managing their supervisor)? I need my employees to be proactive in their approach. -- Put Me In Coach

Dear Put Me In Coach -

I’m so glad you asked these questions, and that you’re thinking about how to improve the quality and effectiveness of our workforce in terms broader than just your own team.

Coaching from the Sidelines

I can’t tell from your question how involved (if at all) this person’s supervisor has been in their career growth. If you and their supervisor have a good working relationship, my recommendation is to coordinate any conversations with the employee through their supervisor. Why? There are a couple of reasons.

First, it’s possible there are performance or other issues that you are not privy to. In those instances, going directly to the employee might disrupt coaching or corrective processes that is already underway. Second, it can be confusing to employees if they are receiving potentially conflicting advice or feedback from separate reporting channels. If you and their supervisor are on the same page, that’s in the best interest of the employee.

One way to start this conversation could be, “Hey [employee’s supervisor], I’ve noticed [employee] getting frustrated in their job search. I've worked with them for a while now and think I might be able to help. Would you mind asking them if they’d be open to having me giving some pointers?”

Unfortunately, not everyone has a great relationship with their supervisor, and it’s tragic to lose good employees because their supervisor doesn’t recognize the value an employee brings or could bring. If you’re in this scenario and you want to help an employee in a bad situation, your best bet is to find excuses to organically offer guidance in your regular conversations. This approach avoids the appearance that you are intentionally usurping their supervisor’s authority.

When talking to the employee, your best approach depends upon why the employee is struggling in their search.

  • If an employee is seeking jobs that don’t fit their skillset or frequently applying for roles they’re under- or overqualified for, look for opportunities to help them recognize their strengths and connect them with informal networking opportunities. Try saying, “[Employee], I really appreciated your thoughtful approach on the [recent project]. Have you ever thought about [career advice here]. Since I’ve seen you in action, I'd be happy to serve as a professional reference or arrange some informal conversations with folks in that line of work.” You could also offer to review their resume or practice with you in a mock interview.
  • If you’re advice involves constructive criticism, create opportunities for the employee to ask you for feedback instead of you making the first move. Curious questions like:
    • "How do you think that presentation went?”
    • “Are those reports landing the way you hoped they would?”
    • “What’s your experience been in collaborating with [other employee] – are you two aligned on the best path forward.”
    It could offer an opening into, “I’ve observed some challenges in that space – are you open to feedback on some potential different approaches?” During the conversation, the employee might realize that their career challenges could relate to some of these blind spots. If the conversation goes well, you could encourage them to take Empowered Growth: Strengths, Self-Awareness and Supportive Career Conversations in LinkedIn Learning or an Enterprise Talent Development course to help them increase their self-awareness of their skillset.

Managing Up

Learning how to manage up is a beneficial skill for both individual contributors and supervisors.

Effectively managing up requires employees to:

  • Recognize that supervisors are busy with work prioritization and supporting the team. Employees need to use their limited face time wisely.
  • Come to meetings prepared to share what they’re working on, what they need and if they need to escalate an issue.

This takes some reflection on your part as the supervisor:

  • What do you need to hear to monitor project progress or make a decision?
  • What level of detail do you want?
  • When and how should an employee escalate an emerging issue?

Sharing your priorities and preferences clearly will save time and build trust. If you’re relationship- or team-oriented, tell your employees that you want to hear what people or communities they consulted before they made a final recommendation. If you’re mission-driven or passionate about a particular initiative, tell your employees that you might measure tasks based on how well they advance the mission or initiative goals.

Managing up applies to career conversations as well. To successfully manage up during career conversations, employees need to recognize that they’re in control of their future career paths. If they start an Individual Development Plan (IDP) conversation with, “I need career growth, please do that for me,” all parties involved are bound to be disappointed.

Set expectations that your employees need to do some front-end work before any IDP conversation: What do they want to do? What outcome do they want? Why? How are they going to get there? Communicate that they should come into the conversation with a plan and proposal that’s easy for you to say “yes” to. If they’re unsure, consider offering these options:

Once an employee has landed on what to ask for, recommend they frame their asks in ways that are easy for you to support. Again, share what motivates you as their supervisor. Is it baseline metrics and public perception? Employees can frame their asks in alignment with those priorities: “This project management course could improve our efficiency by 10%.” Are connections and personal relationships most important to you? Employees could frame asks around the communal benefits they can offer: “This project management course can connect the team with thought partners around the enterprise.”

Effectively managing up is a two-way street and a skill built over time. By using time wisely and being aware of leadership motivations, supervisors and employees alike can build more efficient and productive relationships.

-- Workforce Development Director Dori

About Dear Dori

Dear Dori is a career advice column in our bimonthly enterprise career development email. State employees can ask anything about career development at the State of Minnesota using the Ask Your Career Development Questions form. These questions are anonymous, so employees should not share private details or anything that identifies them.